US479546A - Vestibule-car - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) E. Hl BECKLEY... 3 sheetssheen 2.

VESTIBULE GAR.

Patented July 26, 1892. 1945752.93'

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E. H. BECKLEY.`V

VBSTIBULB GAR.

No. $19,546.l Patented July 26, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR H. BECKLEY, OF ELKHAR'R INDIANA.

VVv'asTluLia-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,546, dated July .26, 1892.

Application filed January 13, 1891. Serial No. 377,616. (No model.)

To 1f/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR H. BECKLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elkhart, in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Vestbulo-Car, of which the following isu a specication.

This invention relates to vestibule-cars, and it may be described as being an improvement on the device of this class for which Letters Patent of the United States No. 434,755 were granted to me on the 19th day of August, 1890.

My present invention has for its object to further improve the general construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one end of a railroadcar constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the saine. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, looking in a downward direct-ion, of the end of one car, showing, also, partly in plan the meeting end of an adjacent car. Fig. 4 isa sectional view taken on the line 4 4 in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of one of the adjustable buHer-plates. Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional View taken on the line 6 6 in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a perspective detail view showing the trap-door in a closed position.v Fig. S is a sectional detail View showing the locking mechanism for the trap-door and side doors. Fig. 9 is a detail view of the hrake-operatin g mechanism. Fig. 10 is aside elevation of the clutch-operating lever for operating the brake mechanism. Fig. 11 is a detail View.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

My improved vestibule-car, as is the case in my former patent to which reference has been made above, is constructed without platforms, the car-bodies being extended,as will be seen in Fig. 1, and provided with end walls 1, said extensions being also provided with side doors 2,through which thecars maybe entered. The side doors 2 are arranged at the lower'ends of the steps 3. The said doors are ordinary folding doors, which are hinged at their inner edges, where they are provided with Vertical rods or pintles 4, extending upwardly and Vthe folding doors 2.

, downwardly through suitable bearing-plates provided for their reception, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings at 5. The lower ends of the pintles 4 are provided with arms or levers 6, which are connected by links 7 with opposite ends of a lever 8, pivoted or fulcrumed at 9. By this method of connecting the pintles they may be simultaneously' operated or motion Will he transmitted from one to the other, so that when one of the doors is opened or closed the other will be automatically operated in a similar manner. The folding doors, which are to be made as narrow as may be consistent with convenience, are arranged to swing inwardly over the bottom step. Under the said bottom step is arranged a casing 10, having a sliding bottom plate 11, which may be conveniently removed when it is desired to have access to the door-operating mechanism, which latter is normally inelosed in and protected by the said casino;

To cover the steps inside the car at each side of the latter, I provide a trap-door 12, which :is hinged so as to close against the end Wall of the car, as will loe seen in Fig. 7. One end of the hinge-rod is extended through the side wall of the car and provided with a handle oroperating-lever 13. The inner end of the door is provided with an operating-lever 14, which is arranged as a treadle, so as to be conveniently operated by the foot for the purpose of opening the door. When the said trap-door is open, as shown in Fig. 4, it forms a railing for the sides of the steps. IVhen closed, it abuts against the inside of the folding doors, which, being arranged to open inward, are thus held securely locked.

To lock and hold the trap-door securely in its closed positioml provide the sliding latch 15, which is mounted in a recess 16 in one of The inner end of said bolt is beveled, as shown at 17, and said latch is normally forced in an outward direction by means of a spring 18, suitably coiled upon the shank thereof, said shank beingprovided with a head 19, by means of which it may be conveniently manipulated. The upper side of the latch 15 is provided withV a recess 20, adapted to be engaged by the bolt 21 of an ordinary lock, the casing of which 22 is mortised into the door in which the latch 15 is arranged. It will thus be seen that the trap- IOO l ward direction.

door may be readily locked in its closed position and that it may be readily manipulated either from the inside or from the outside of the car to enable the folding doors 2 to be opened or closed, as may be desired.

In a vestibule-car which is constructed in accordance with my invention it becomes desirable to provide some special mechanism for operating the coupling and the brake-setting mechanism. Usually the coupling-lever and the brake-rod are pivoted and journaled upon the platform of the car;l but a platform being dispensed with by my invention it becomes necessary to have the operating mechanism for the coupling and the brake inside the car. To arrange the said operating` mechanism in the most convenient manner, I proceed as follows:

Upon a rock-shaft 3, which is arranged longitudinally in the car and extending through the end wall of the same, is mounted a lever 24, which extends upwardly through a slot 25 in the fiooring, closely adjacent to the end wall. To the upper end of the lever 24 is hinged a handle 26, which is adapted to fold up closely against the end wall of the car, where, when notin use,itmay be retainedin position between a pair of studs 27. The rockshaft 23 is provided with a downwardly-extending arm 28, which'is connected by a chain 29 with the draw-head 30, which may thus be manipulated in the usual manner for the purpose of uncoupling the car when desired. The operating lever or handle 26 maybe readily disengaged from the studs 27 and manipulated by simply swinging it slightly in an out- The outer end of the rockshaft has a lever or handle 31, by means of which it may be manipulated when desired from the outside of the car.

The brake-operating mechanism comprises a horizontal shaft 32, journaled in suitable bearings in the end wall oi' the car. Said shaft has a fixed clutch member 33 and a sliding or movable clutch-collar 34, which latter is normally held in contact with the clutch member 33 by the action of aspring 35, coiled lupon the shaft and bearing against a ratchetwheel 3G upon thelatter. Theratchet-wheel 36 is engaged by a vertically-sliding dog or pawl 37, having a slot 38, by means of which it is adjusted upon a suitable pin or stud 39. The pawl 37 has a laterally-extending arm 40.

41 designates a clutch-operating lever having a curved arm 42. The lowerends of said arm and lever are pivotally connected with studs 43, extending on diametrically-opposite sides of the clutch-collar 34. A pin or stud 44 is provided to form a fulcrum for the operating-lever 41 when the latter is to be manipulated to disengage the collar 34 from the clutch 33, as will be seen in Fig. 9 of the drawings. .A chain 45, one end of which is attached to the shaft 32 or to a drum upon the said shaft, leads to the brake mechanism, which latter, however, is not shown in the drawings, being of ordinary construction and not claimed in the present specification.

The operation of the brake-setting mechanism will be readily understood. By manipulating the clutch-lever 4l the shaft may be rotated to wind the chain 45, thus setting the brake, the pawl 37, engaging the ratchet 36, serving to retain the shaft in any position to which it may be adjusted. Then it is desired to release the brake, the clutch-lever 41 is raised until the arm 42 of said lever engages the arm 40 of the vertically-sliding pawl 37, which latter is thus moved in an upward direction and disengaged from the ratchetwheel 3G, thus permitting the shaft 32 to revolve in a reverse direction and releasing the brake.

The ends of the car are provided with doorframes 4G, in which are hinged the doors 47, through which communication may be established between the meeting ends of adjacent cars. The cross-sills 47 n under Ithe door-frames are provided with Wear-plates 48, through which are extended the longitudinally-movable spring-actuated buffer-stems 49, which may be seen most clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The front ends or heads of the said buffer-stems are provided with horizontal recesses 50 and vertical perforations 5l to receive the pins 52, by means of which the buffer-plates 53 may be secured in position adjustably. Said buffer-plates are provided with laterally-extending series of verticallyperforated ears or lugs 54, any of which may be IOO adjusted in the recesses 2O of the spring-actuated buffers, where the said plates may be secured by means ot' the pins 52. The bufferplates are provid ed with forwardly-extending beveled pins 55 and recesses 56 in their lower edges, the pins 55 of one buffer-plate being adapted t-o engage the recesses 56 of the bufferplate of the approaching car for the purpose of preventing lateral movement. The bufferplates being vertically adjustable, as shown and described, may be readily adjusted to cars of different heights. tion just described I dispense with all necessity for effecting vertical adjustment of the spring-actuated buffers, as shown in my former patent, to which reference has been made above, thus simplifying the construction and lessening the expense, while the facility for adjustment remains unimpaired.

At the sides and tops of the door-frames in the end walls of the cars provision is made for the flexible connecting medium which constitutes the vestibule connection between adjacent cars. At one side of the door-frame is arranged a vertical U-shaped spring clasp or clamp 57, which is attached to the front edge of a Iiexible curtain 58, which is adapted to be wound upon a suitable spring-actuated roller 59, which is arranged in a'suitable casing 60 in the end wall of the car. At the other side of the door-frame is arranged a vertical flange 6l, having a head 62, adapted 1 By the construc- IIO folding doors is simple and efficient.

to engage the U-shaped clamp 57 of the ad.

6l, having a head 62a, adapt-ed to engage the U-shaped clamp 57 of the opposing car. It will be seen that by this construction when the cars come together the U-shaped flange will engage the headed flanges, thus permitting or causing the flexible connections to be partially unwound from their respective rollers and constitute a vestibule connected between the cars. When the cars are separated, however, the connecting devices will readily separate or be pulled apart automatically.y The flexible connection will also readily adapt itself to the varying distancebetween the cars when the latter are iii-motion, the slack being constantly taken up by the spring-actuated rollers upon -which the flexible connecting-curtains are wound.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the construction, operation, and advantages of my invention will readily be understood. The construction and arrangement of the The trap-door inside the car covers the steps while the car is in motion and increases the floor-space, and it forms a guard or railing for the step when it is in a raised position. In addition to this the said trap-door serves to retain the folding doors securelyin a locked position. The mechanism for operating the coupling and the brake mechanism is simple and is so arranged as not to be in the way. The buffer-plates may be easily and conveniently adjusted to fit cars of different heights and the exible vestibule connections are likewise simple and effective.

Vhile I have in the foregoing described the preferred construction, I desire it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise details herein set forth, but reserve the right to any modifications that may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I`

claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesl. In a vestibule-car, the combination, with the folding doors having the vertical hingerods extending through bearing plates at their upper and lower ends and provided with arms or levers near their lower ends, of an intermediate lever and links connecting the ends of said lever with the arms at the lowerl ends of the hinge-rods, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. Ina vestibule-car having the steps arranged inside the end walls, the combination of the folding doors havingthe vertical hingerods provided with leverslat their lower ends, connections between the said levers, and the casings having the sliding removable bottom plates, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. l

` 3. Ina vestibule-car, the combination,w1th the steps arranged inside the end walls, of the trap-doors arranged to close in the direction of said end walls and adapted when open to form railings orv side guards for the said steps, substantially as set forth.

4. In a vestibule-car having the steps ar.

ranged inside the end walls of the car. andthe inwardly-folding doors arranged at the lower ends of said steps, the trap-doors arranged to fold against the said folding doors and to retain the latter in a closed position, substantially as set forth.

5. In a vestibule-car, the combination of the folding doors, the trap-door, a sliding latch mounted in arecess in one of the folding doors and adapted to be engaged by the trapt-door, a spring to actuate said latch, and alockhaving a vertically-sliding bolt to engage a recess in the upper side of said latch, substantially as set forth.

6. In a vestibule-car having the steps, the

trap-doors provided with treadles near their justably at the front ends of said stems, sub.

stantially as set forth.y

9. The combinatiomwith thelongitudinallyfmovable buffer-springs having horizontallyrecessed and vertically-perforated heads, of the vertically-adjustable buffer-plates having series of laterally-extending vertically-perforated ears or lugs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. The combination, with the longitudi-l nally-movable buffer-stems, of the adjustable and detachable buffer-plates having laterallyextending vertically-perforated ears or lugs,

and forwardly-extending beveled pins and provided with recesses in their under edges,

.substantially as set forth.

ll. The combination, with the longitudinally-movable buffer-stems, of the bearingplates attached to the front sides of the crosssills of the car and the adjustable and detachable buffer-plates, substantially as set forth.

l2. In a vestibule-car having the end walls inclosing the side steps, the door-frames arranged in said end walls and provided at oner side with U-shaped catches attached to iieXible curtains wound upon spring-actuated rollers and at the other side with flanges having IIC IZO

door-frames and automatic couplings on the other car to engage the said flexible connections When` the cars come in Contact, said automatic couplings being adapted to become automatically disconnected When the cars are lpulled apart, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EDGAR H. BECKLEY.

Vitnesses: v

D. N. LEIB, W. M. GEORGE.

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